Vehicle-brake.



Patented lune l0, I902. W. A. CRITCHLUW.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

(Application filed Sept. 13, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ARTHUR CRITCHLOW, OF VANCOUVER, CANADA.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,287, dated June 10,1902.

Application filed September 13, 19(llv fierial No. 75,273. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ARTHUR CRITCHLOW, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Vancouver, inthe Province of BritishColumbiaand Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and ImprovedVehicle-Brake, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription;

The purpose of this invention is to provide a brake of simple,economic," and durable construction arranged to be automatically broughtinto action by the pressure of the neck-yoke, saddle, back-strap, andbreeching when the horse orteam is holding back and to so construct andhang the brake-shoes that the brakes will be off when the horse or teampulls ahead or when the vehicle is backed.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a brake mechanism of thecharacter described which will be applicable to a single or to a doublerig. y

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a singlehorse vehicle having theimprovement applied. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the vehicle andimproved brake. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a tongue, illustratingthe application of the improvement thereto. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewof a portion of the device adapted to be applied to the tongue or poleof a vehicle, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the brake-shoesand a part of the brake-beam.

A represents the body of a vehicle'provided with the usual runningear,of which E represents the rear axle; O, the front axle; D

and D, respectively, the rear and forward supporting wheels; E, thereach; E, the brake-shoes, and Fthe brake-beam.

F represents the shafts of the vehicle, attached thereto in any approvedmanner. Near the inner end of each shaft a plate G is attached at itsforward end to the shaft. Each plate G is provided with a head-section10, having an aperture 11 to receive a screw or bolt, the head beingofiset upward beyond the body portion of the plate, which body portionis preferably narrower than the head,

and at the rear of each plate aforwardly and upwardly returned member12isformed and when the plate is secured to the shaft will engage with theunder face of the shaft, as is shown in Fig. 2. The body portion of eachplate G is provided with opposing downwardly-extending earsl3 nearer itsrear than its forward end, and these ears have openings 14: producedtherein adapted to receive the trunnions of a roller 15, as is shown inFigs. 1 and 2. These trunnions pass likewise through yokes 16, whichextend over the ears 13 and likewise over the shafts, and the upwardlyreturned member 12 serves to strengthen the ears13. Preferably the bodyportion. of each plate G is downwardly curved or downwardly bent at itslongitudinal edges,

and beneaththe body portion of each plate G a slideH has end movement,being in engagement with'the downturned edges of the plates G; but thesurface of the plates G, against which the slides have movement, may bestraight, if desired. Each slide H preferably has its forward enddownwardly turned, as shown at H in Fig. 4, and a yoke-strap 17 extendsupward from the forward end of each slide H loosely over a shaft F,while adjacent to each yoke-strap 17 each slide is provided at each edge"with an upwardly-extending guide-lip 18, adapted to travel upon thelongitudinal upper edge surfaces of the plates G, and at the rear end ofeach slide 11 an eye 19 or its equivalent is formed. One end of a ropeor chain 20, or the equivalent thereof, is attached to each slide H atthe rear end of said slide, and these ropes or chains 20 are carriedforward and then over the guide-pulleys 15 and likewise in engagementwith guide-pulleys 21, located at a point where the shafts connectwiththeir cross-bars. Fromthese pulleys 21 the ropes or chains 20 arecarried over another set 'of guide-pulleys 22, located one on each sideof the king-bolt-23, to an engagement with the inner ends of levers 24,which levers are fulcrumed between their centers and outer ends upon theunder face of the brake-beam F, supported by one or more brackets Fiasis shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Turnbuckles 20 or their equivalents areprovided in the chains 20 to take up any slack or for any requiredpurpose.

This arrangement is particularly adapted for a vehicle in which shaftsare employed; but the improvement may be adapted with equally goodresults to a vehicle in which a pole or tongue is used instead ofshafts.

The brake-shoes E, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 5, consist ofa body-block 243*, the upper rear longitudinal face whereof is straight,but the lower longitudinal rear face is more or less convexed. Thissurface is adapted for engagement ordinarily with the rear wheels of thevehicle. The upper portion of the forward face of the body-block of eachbrake-shoe is also more or less straight, while the lower portion 26 ofthe forward face of each body-block is more or less concaved, I as isshown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Preferably the forward face of each brake-block 24c is provided with anattached metal strap 27, extending from its bottom to its top,conforming to the forward contour of the brake-block to which it isapplied. In addition to this strap 27 a second strap 28 is employed,located at the forward portion of each brake-shoe, the forward straps 28conforming in shape to the rear straps 27; A space 29 intervenes the twostraps 27 and 28 of each brake-shoe. The outer ends of the levers 24extend through the spaces 29 between the straps 27 and 28 of thebrake-shoes, and the outer extremities of the levers 24 are providedwith heads 30, which prevent the brake-shoes from leaving the levers.The brake-shoes are not therefore directly connected with the brake-beamF, but are carried by the levers 24. When the animal holds back, theinner ends of the levers through the medium of the ropes or chains 20are drawn forwardly and the brake-shoes are applied to the rear wheels,checking the movement thereof; but when an animal or team is backed forthe purpose of causing the vehicle to travel backward the brake-shoes,should they come in contact with the rear wheels, will ride upward onthe levers 24 and will exert no braking action on the wheels, and whenthe vehicle is drawn forward the brake-shoes will assume their normalposition out of engagement with the wheels. It will be understood thatthe slides H are connected with the holdback-straps or breeching of theharness, the attachment being at the rear ends of the slides. When it isdesired to keep the team. at a standstill or on a hill, L-shaped boltsare slid out from the felly and clipping the forward upper corners ofthe brake-shoes keep them from rising or leaving the wheel, as is shownin dotted linesin Fig. 5/-

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the application of the device to a pole ortongue K, in which it will be observed that the slide H is provided withan eye 32 at its forward end, which receives the pole or tongue andlikewise the forward portion of the plate H, attached to the under facethereof.

It will be understood that the brake-shoes may be applied to the forwardwheels of a vehicle, if desired, and that one or more slides H may beemployed, and the connection between the slides and levers may be variedaccording to thecharacter of the vehicle to which the application ismade.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In vehicles, the combination, with therunning-gear, including a brake-beam, levers fulcrumed on thebrake-beam, brake-shoes carried by the said levers and having verticalmovement thereon, a draft device connected with the running-gear, slidescarried by the draft device, guides for the said slides, ropes or chainsconnected with the said slides, pulley-guides for the ropes or chains, aconnection between the ropes or chains and the inner ends of the saidlevers, bolts mounted on the brake-beam and adapted to be passed overthe upper portion of the brake-shoes, and means,substantially asdescribed,.forpreventing the brake-shoes from leaving the said levers,as and for the purpose specified.

2. In vehicles, the combination, with the running-gear thereof includingthe brakebeam and shafts, or a pole, of guide-plates attached to theunder faces of the shafts, slides mounted to travel on the saidguide-plates, friction-rollers carried by the said plates, ropes orchains attached to the rear ends of the slides and passed over the saidfrictionrollers and friction-rollers located on the running-gear, therear ends of the slides being adapted for attachment to the holdbackportion of a harness, levers fulcrumed upon the brake-beam and connectedwith the said ropes or chains, brake-shoes having a convexed lower rearface, a concaved lower front face, and an opening at the forwardportion, extending from top to bottom and conforming to the contour ofthe brake-shoe at such point, the outer ends of the said levers beingpassed through the said opening, and bolts carried by the brake-beam andadapted to be passed over the upper ends of the brake-shoes, for thepurpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ARTHUR CRITOHLOW.

Witnesses:

L. EDWIN DUDLEY, C. EDDIE.

